Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin’s decision to declare four parliamentary seats vacant has generated widespread debate and uncertainty about a possible shift in Ghana’s parliamentary power dynamics.

On October 17, Bagbin responded to a motion filed by former Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu, citing constitutional requirements that mandate MPs seeking to run as independent candidates to vacate their seats.

This decision could have significant political consequences. The affected MPs—Cynthia Morrison (Agona West), Kwadjo Asante (Suhum), Andrew Asiamah (Fomena), and Peter Kwakye Ackah (Amenfi Central)—are now without their seats in Parliament, potentially allowing the Minority caucus to switch places with the Majority.

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, John Dramani Mahama, has interpreted Bagbin’s ruling as a divine indication of the NDC’s victory in the upcoming 2024 general elections.

At a rally, Mahama emphasized that the vacancies could bolster the party’s chances, though he also urged his supporters to remain committed and work diligently toward their goal.

As parliamentary dynamics potentially shift, both parties and observers are keenly watching the impact this ruling will have as the December elections draw near.

Ruling on the matter in Parliament in Accra on Thursday, Bagbin indicated that “Honourable members it is important to point that the speaker is called upon by the standing orders of parliament particularly order 18 to inform the house of the occurrence of a vacancy of the seat of a member under clause (1) b to e, g and h of article 97 of the constitution.

“Accordingly, I will proceed to inform the house that by the notification of the polls, the following MPs are by their actions vacated their seats in parliament.”

The ruling by Bagbin echoes a similar incident from 2020 when then-Speaker Mike Oquaye made a controversial decision regarding Andrew Amoako Asiamah, the MP for Fomena.

In October 2020, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) formally requested Speaker Oquaye to invoke Article 97 (1)(g) of the Constitution, which allows for the declaration of a seat as vacant under specific circumstances. Oquaye agreed with this interpretation, leading to Asiamah’s expulsion from Parliament after he opted to run as an independent.

However, Speaker Bagbin clarified that the prior ruling by Oquaye does not hold precedent for his decisions, emphasizing that each Speaker has the autonomy to make their own rulings.

He stated that once the notice of polls confirmed the four MPs’ intentions to run as independents, they could no longer retain their seats in the current Parliament.

Prior to Bagbin’s ruling, Oquaye had expressed concerns, arguing that such petitions should originate from the NPP rather than any external party, hoping that the current Speaker would not entertain the motion to declare the seats vacant.